Forbbiden Love
by Sierra Sakari
Summary: 3 years after the battle with Galaxia, Usagi is trying to live a normal life as a college student. However, her relationship with Mamoru is suffering and she is often depressed. Worried, the senshi ask a familiar friend to cheer her up. Will they succeed?
1. Chapter 1

Forbidden Love

_"Dear Diary,_

_It's been 3 years since we defeated Galaxia and restored peace to the world. It's been 3 years since we said goodbye to Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights. I often wonder how they are doing and if they have been able to restore their planet. I wonder how he is doing. I miss him. I miss his voice, his laugh, his warmth. I love Mamo-chan, but somehow there is something about Seiya that draws me in. I wonder if I will ever get to see him again…"_

Tsukino Usagi peered out the window from the desk she sat at, quietly contemplating the words on the page she had just written. With a sigh, she closed the cover of her diary and slipped it into the desk drawer. Usagi looked out the window again, her long golden hair shining in the rays of spring sunshine, still in her trademark _odango_ style. Suddenly she heard a knock on the front door, allowing her to snap back to reality. Usagi rose from the chair and made her way across the small apartment where she now lived to the front door.

Peering through the peep-hole, she saw several familiar faces smiling at her. Usagi immediately opened the door and beamed at her friends: Rei, Ami, Minako, and Makoto.

"Minna!" She exclaimed, looking at each of them.

"Usagi-san, may we come in?" Asked Ami, polite as ever.

"Of course!" Usagi replied, stepping aside to let them all in. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked as they all removed their shoes at the door.

"We came to see you, of course!" Minako answered.

"And to hang out for lunch." Makoto added.

"Lunch?" Usagi tilted her head, confused. As if on cue, each of the girls raised their arms to reveal packed lunches, each in colorful bags. Makoto had two – one for her and one for Usagi.

Usagi squealed happily and hugged Makoto. The girls giggled. As they all sat down around the living room Rei spoke up.

"We also wanted to catch up with you." Rei said. "How are you and Mamoru-san doing?"

Usagi bit her lip. "We're alright I suppose. He's pretty busy finishing up his undergraduate degree. After that he is going to med school."

"He's going to Tokyo U, right?" Minako asked. Usagi nodded.

"Yes."

"But by going through medical school, he will be able to get a very good job as a doctor in the future." Ami said.

"I know…" Usagi replied. The girls seemed to sense something was wrong and exchanged worried glances.

"Usagi-chan…are you sure everything is okay between you two?" Makoto said.

Usagi sniffed. "It's just… I hardly ever get to see him. It's like we're not even together anymore." Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Rei placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure Mamoru-san is doing his best to make time for you. He loves you, Usagi."

Usagi looked at her and sniffed again.

"That's right! You two will be King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo someday!" Minako said encouragingly. Usagi didn't respond. Instead, she rose silently, mumbling something about tea and snacks before heading to the kitchen.

"You guys, I'm starting to get really worried about her." Minako said, frowning. "Do you think there's a chance they will break up?"

"What would happen to Crystal Tokyo in the future?" Makoto mused, sadly.

"I'm sure they will get through this." Ami said. "This is temporary bump in the road for them. Mamoru-san is going to med school after all. It's a very trying time for him. Usagi should know that." The other girls didn't know what to say. They were still worried about their friend.

A few moments later, Usagi came back with a tray of tea cups and a plate of cookies for everyone and set it down in the middle of the table. After Usagi was seated again, they all unwrapped their lunches and began to chat about how things were going in each of their lives.

They all had continued on to college, all of them in their first year. Rei wants to be able to take over the shrine after her grandfather; Minako is studying theatre in order to become a better actress/idol; Makoto is studying cooking in order to be able to open up her own restaurant; and Ami is studying medicine to become a doctor like her mother. Usagi, on the other hand, had not decided on a field of interest, and decided to take general education classes.

Though the girls had not changed much from when they were in high school, they had noticed the gradual change in Usagi. She is slowly becoming more mature; more like the Queen she will become in the future. However, there were still moments where she behaved exactly as she had when they first met. Presently, it was only the four Guardian Senshi; the Outer Senshi – Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn – had moved on to other things, having no particular reason to stay and no imminent threat on the horizon. However, they still made some form of contact every now and then to check in. Even ChibiUsa, who had gone back to the future long ago occasionally sent letters through LunaP.

It was nearly two o'clock by the time the girls realized they all had to go about their way. They waved goodbye to Usagi, who thanked them for stopping by and bringing her lunch. In the hallway outside of Usagi's apartment Minako quietly whispered.

"Don't you guys think she is looking a little thin? It seems like she has lost some weight."

"Yeah, I hope she is eating right…" Makato added.

"It's funny to think that the girl who used to pig out on snacks is no longer eating right." Rei commented. The girls nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure it's just because she is upset about not spending more time with Mamoru-san. She'll be her old, cheerful self in no time." Ami said, though with a hint of uncertainty. Even the logical, genius Senshi had her doubts.

"What she really needs is some fun in her life. She's just wasting away in that apartment." Minako said. Again, the girls nodded. After a few moments of trying to think of something to do for Usagi, Minako suddenly cried "I've got an idea!"

3 years after the battle with Galaxia, Usagi is trying to live a normal life as a college student. However, her relationship with Mamoru is suffering and she is often depressed. When the Inner Senshi become worried about their friend, they ask a familiar face to cheer her up. Will the plan succeed?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A few days later, as it was nearing dusk, Usagi was just returning to her apartment building when she stopped to check her mailbox. Normally she only received mundane things like bills and letters related to school, but this time, there was an envelope she did not recognize. There was no postage or address, merely the word "Odango" written on the front. Usagi turned it over to examine the back. Nothing on that side either. She figured it must be from Mamoru, but why would he be writing her an unmarked letter? She decided to open it in her room and made for the stairs.

Inside, Usagi deposited her bag on the floor by her desk and sat down to read the strange letter. As she removed the letter, she immediately caught a whiff of a strong, but familiar scent. As soon as her eyes met the words, Usagi's eyes filled with tears.

Odango,

How are you doing? I hope I haven't startled you too much with this letter. It has been a long time, hasn't it? Everything back home has been going well so far. It turns out that there were some people who managed to escape Galaxia's attack that day. Though we are still working on rebuilding,. Our Princess has been a great inspiration to all of us, especially the refugees from the attack. Taiki and Yaten often speak of you and the others. We miss you. I miss you. There isn't a day that goes by that I wish things could have been different, and we could have been born on the same planet, in the same town. I have enclosed a gift with this letter. It's a flower that has recently begun to grow here on Kinmoku. I thought of you the first time I saw it because it has your light. I named it the Moonflower.

Usagi paused for a moment to feel inside the envelope. Sure enough, her fingers touched the stem and she pulled out a beautiful white flower. Five silken petals of pearly white circled around a bright golden yellow center. Bursts of pink erupted from the inner parts of the petals, closest to the center. The long, slender stem was as soft as velvet and Usagi could do nothing but gaze in awe at the beauty of the plant. Suddenly, the center of the flower began to faintly glow, which slowly began spreading out to the petals, as if reacting to her presence. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Usagi looked at the letter again, realizing there was still a small part left to read.

I hope that you like my gift, and the one to come.

Seiya

Overjoyed with news from Seiya, Usagi gently hugged the letter and the flower. As she set both of them down at her desk, she looked out the window at the darkening sky. The lights of the city drowned out most of the stars. Usagi longed to see him again and hoped that somewhere Seiya was also looking up at the stars with her. At that moment, Usagi saw a shooting star streak across the sky. Usagi gasped and clasped her hands tightly together to make a wish. With her eyes tightly closed, she wished with all her might.

"_Please,_" She thought to herself. "_Please let me meet him again._"

With a soft sigh, Usagi decided it was nearly time for supper. As she contemplated her options, she heard a gentle knock on the door. Knowing she wasn't expecting guests, she wondered who it could be. Usagi crossed the room and looked out the hole, but saw nothing.

"Weird…" She murmured, and stepped away from the door. As she did so, there was another knock. She looked out again, and still there was nothing. "Stupid little kids…!" She grumbled. "I'll show them!" She growled under her breath and swung the door open with a mighty swing.

She expected to see a bunch of kids running down the hall. Instead, she was greeted by a tall man in a dark suit with black hair tied back in a long pony-tail. He wore a red rose in his breast pocket and smile on his face.

"Odango, hisashiburi da na." Seiya said, grinning widely.

Usagi stared, mouth ajar in shock and unable to say anything but an attempt at stuttering his name. Seiya laughed.

"You'll catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that." He said. "You could at least say he-Oof!"

Seiya did not get to finish his sentence, for Usagi had thrown herself at him in a huge hug, tears streaming down her face. Seiya smiled tenderly and patted her gently on the head.

"Seiya…!" She mumbled into his chest, embracing him tightly.

"Well, are you going to invite me in or what?" He teased, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her away from him gently. Usagi smiled and nodded.

"Please come in!"

Upon entering, Seiya surveyed her apartment. Though it was a modest size, like many Tokyo apartments, it was well-furnished, and he noticed many of the items were a reflection of Usagi's personality. This was especially true of her rabbit motif.

"You live by yourself?" He asked.

He noticed that none of it seemed to belong to Mamoru. Usagi nodded.

"Yep!"

Seiya hoped that this meant she was no longer seeing him.

"You're not seeing that guy anymore?" He asked, trying to hide his eagerness.

Usagi's expression turned sour.

"I am but…things are difficult right now." She explained.

"Why is that every time I see you, he is always making you sad?" Seiya asked, genuinely concerned. He took a step closer to her, sensing that she may start to cry if he pursued the topic.

"He's just really busy right now. He's about to start med school." She replied. She looked for a moment at Seiya and then away. "I'll go make some tea for you."

She said and turned to walk away. Seiya caught her arm, however, and pulled her to him.

"Seiya…" Usagi muttered. Though she felt comforted by his embrace, deep down she was still unsure of her feelings towards him.

"Gomen, Odango." He said as he released her. "It's been so long since we last saw each other, I can't seem to let you go." He smiled at her. Usagi smiled back and instructed him to wait in the living room while she made tea and snacks.

As she brought out the tray, Usagi looked at Seiya, who was examining a picture on a nearby shelf. She set the tray down and went to join him.

"Which one are you looking at?" She asked as she peaked around his shoulder. Among the many photos she had framed on the shelf, Seiya was looking at one of the two of them together the day they had gone to the amusement park. The picture was taken in front of the Ferris wheel, Seiya's arm was wrapped around Usagi's shoulder, and both of them were smiling brightly.

"That's a good one." Seiya commented. "It was a good day until Iron Mouse came

along…"

"But then we kicked her butt!" Usagi said, striking a pose. Seiya laughed.

"That's right!"

Usagi held out a cup of tea to him, which he took and they sat down on the couch.

"So why are you here?" Usagi asked. "I got your letter; you said you were helping to rebuild Kinmoku." She said. Seiya took a sip of tea and looked at her.

"I was. Taiki and Yaten are still there. I'm…on vacation, you could say." He said with a sly smirk.

"Vacation?" Usagi said. "So what are you going to do here?" She asked. Seiya continued to smile.

"Spend time with you of course!"

Usagi blushed slightly and looked down at her cup.

"But the others – Taiki, Yaten, and Princess Kakyuu – they know you're here right?"

She looked at him warily. Seiya faked an affronted look.

"Of course! Though the other two weren't really pleased I was skipping out on work…" He mumbled.

"That sounds like them." Usagi said with a smile. "Where are you staying?"

Seiya laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"That's the thing, I don't really have anywhere to go."

Usagi gasped.

"I'm sure Rei-chan has a room at the temple you can stay in, or Ami-chan has—"

"Actually," He cut her off. "I was hoping I could stay with _you_." He said softly.

Usagi blushed again and took a quick sip of tea. And another, and another.

"_What would Mamoru say? Would he be angry? Then again, it's not like he has been around much anyway. If Seiya is only staying a short time, it wouldn't be a big deal, right?" _ She thought to herself.

"How long are you planning to stay?" She asked suddenly.

"I don't know yet. Maybe a week?"

He didn't seem to have come to a final decision yet.

Usagi pondered for a moment, considering the pros and cons. On the one hand, having Seiya around for awhile would certainly lift her spirits. And he would also be around to keep her company. On the other hand, if Mamoru _did_ decide to drop by unexpectedly, it might be a seriously awkward situation. "_But I'm just helping him out; he has nowhere else to go!"_ Usagi justified in her mind. "_What's the harm in helping out a friend?" _ She nodded to herself as Seiya looked at her expectantly.

"Alright, you can stay with me. It's not much, and you'll have to sleep on the couch

but—" Usagi's face was suddenly smothered within Seiya's chest as he hugged her tight.

"Thank you, Odango! I promise I'll be no trouble." He released her and smiled up at him. "Though I can't promise I won't try to sneak in to your room from time to time."

He gave her a devilish smirk and Usagi blushed furiously as she gave him a playful smack in the arm. Seiya laughed and tried to shield himself from another swing.

"Alright, alright!" He said, " I'll only go in when you're sleeping."

When Usagi threatened to lock him outside in the hall, Seiya quickly admitted defeat, citing that angry princesses are quite ferocious.

"Now, how about some dinner?" Usagi suggested, realizing it was well past 7 and she had not eaten. "Are you hungry?"

Seiya seemed to remember one of the other senshi saying Usagi's cooking was poor on his first visit to Earth. "_Well, it has been awhile, she has probably gotten better by now if that was really the case_." He thought to himself." _Besides, I am getting a little hungry_."

"Food sounds delicious. Especially if it is made by you!" Seiya beamed at her.

"I don't have much right now, so it will be simple, is that okay?" She asked.

Seiya nodded.

"Okay, let me see what I can whip up."

And with that, Usagi headed for the kitchen.


End file.
